Ultimate Guide to a Weekend Trip in Nashville, Tennessee

Amazing country music, delicious food, eventful history, Grand Ole Opry, up and coming district of the Gulch. In other words, this makes the Music City of Nashville the perfect weekend trip getaway. Perfect southern getaway for almost any type of traveler. I just got back from an incredible trip with my mom and grandma and the city absolutely captivated us! Nashville has topped my bucket list for the longest time, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to spend time with my mom and grandma in the music capital for my birthday weekend. We spent 2 days there, but I swear we packed 5 days worth of fun into that short time frame. I’m going to dive into more details for anyone looking to pack their bags and head to one of my favorite southern cities. This guide has you covered for a weekend getaway.

Day 1:

Country Music Hall of Fame - We got tickets the morning of the day that we decided to go and had no issue. Each ticket was about $28 but well worth it. Side note, I was expecting to see exhibits of some of country music's greats such as George Strait, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, etc. but there was no exhibits and VERY minimal of these artists. Nonetheless, this is worth going to.

12:30 Restaurant - While it is heavily encouraged to make reservations for this much in advance, we decided to go up to the hostess and ask if they had any cancellations by chance. They actually had one and we were able to get in! This spot is normally booked up and reserved on weekends so do plan to NOT pull an us, and make reservation in advance!

Strolling up and down Broadway - Broadway is a classic must because this is where you will see all of the boutiques, shops and photo ops!

Taylor Swift Concert - Although we pulled one of the infamous "I will keep refreshing TickPick and hope that tickets drop", THEY ACTUALLY DID. However, my grandma, mom, and I did not plan to get lucky enough to get more than one ticket. I planned to enter the concert alone but the only tickets available were in bulk of 2! For only $280 each. In the time we spent deciding which 2 of the 3 of us would get to go, we missed the deal. BUT we did sit on a very nearby bridge and see the entire 3 hour concert + crowd + jumbotrons! This was the most amazing experience. Also get in line for merchandise as the concert starts. We waited 5 minutes and everything was still fully stocked.

12th Ave - Full of unique shops and amazing food! Another must do when in Nashville just to experience the full Nashville atmosphere.

Tips: Parking and Uber or Rental Car - We rented a car and when being taken to the Enterprise location to pick it up, our taxi driver actually told us we made a mistake by renting a car because of how crazy parking will be but we found absolutely no issue. Renting a car was the best decision we made. I highly recommend renting a car through an Enterprise that is NOT connected to the airport. The airport ones have their prices way to high whereas nearby locations will have it at half the price.

Day 2:

Graduate Hotel/Poindexter Coffee - Nothing says Nashville like Dolly Parton! This is her hotel and Poindexter Coffee is actually in the hotel. This whole hotel is full of photo ops. Go to the rooftop pool and area for the best chance to get some great pics.

Grand Ole Opry - We decided not to get tickets to see a show but we did drive to the Grand Ole Opry and walk around this entire area to still get the experience and feel of it. I still recommend this because there is actually a ton to do in this area and within walking distance.

Gulch District - This district is definitely up and coming! Not to mention, it is gorgeous! So many local shops, local eateries, and fun to do also within walking distance. One of my favorite boutiques was in this area, Kittenish, which is owned by Jessie James Decker.

Assembly Food Hall - We ate here twice on our trip because I personally feel like this place is a complete steal/hack/hidden gem. There are SOOOO many quick food places of all different kinds. Whether you want sushi, Indian food, burgers, seafood, pizza, dessert, Mediterranean food, waffles...it is all here with little to no wait. There is also live music in here along with indoor or outdoor seating. Your choice.

RH Cafe - A MUST!!! This is a cafe inside of a hotel but it does NOT feel like that. There is a water fountain inside, chandelliars hanging down, huge trees, plants, and beautiful scenery. The food was amazing and if you tell them it's your bday (for me, it actually was my bday) they give you free dessert. There is so many photo ops here. Go to the 4th floor (completely free of charge) to find the best photo spots inside and outside with amazing light.

The Hampton Social - We had reservations here but actually cancelled them just because this whole trip had us in major food coma. BUT I made these reservations 2 days prior to the day of because they get booked up so quick. This place came highly recommended by friends who have been and also by locals!

Didn't do but highly recommend - Biscuit love, Milk and Honey, Five Daughters Donuts, Hattie B. These are all eating places and they do NOT take reservations. They go based on a first come first serve basis so be sure to get there when you aren't that hungry because I promise by the time you 1-2 hour wait is over, you will be. All of these places came highly recommended by locals and some friends of mine. I was able to actually go in them and walk around and I myself do see how it lives up to it's hype. Wish we had enough time to wait and eat at them!

Side notes: So a huge side note is that we went on Cinco De Mayo weekend and also the same weekend of Taylor Swift's concert tour in Nashville. This alone screams HUGE wait time anywhere and everywhere, overpopulated areas, tourists and claustrophobic-ness. I have been to many cities where I thought I would not see an area that was more packed such as New York or Vegas but this trip easily took the cake. Because it was so packed, it also meant we were more limited to do things because of the wait time to get in to basically anywhere. Another side note to counter this is that I, too, am a swiftie so I absolutely loved being surrounded by fellow swifities! I also loved how the entire city of Nashville was covered in Taylor Swift theme! There were so many photo ops with Taylor Swift themed walls/lyrics. Each boutique I went into played nothing but Taylor Swift and some even had themed outfits for sale and photo ops/decorations. We LOVED this.

Reach out if you have any questions or would like a more detailed itinerary. I am thrilled to share everything I did with you all. This is your sign to book your trip to Nashville now. Tell me how it goes!

XOXO,

Tess